An Interview With Jake Frankel
Don’t be afraid of feedback. Invite beta readers to read your book before it’s published. And don’t be afraid of what they have to say. You don’t have to incorporate every piece of feedback that they give, but you should thoughtfully consider where they’re coming from to get the most out of this process.
As part of my series about “How to write a book that sparks a movement” I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie Forshee.
Stephanie Forshee is an author, singer/songwriter, and media professional.
She is the author of Hidden Gems: Margaret Getchell LaForge. Her children’s book series about fierce females in the business world, Hidden Gems for Kids, was successfully funded on Kickstarter in May 2022.
Her byline has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn News, Morning Brew, Fortune, the Financial Times, Backstage, Newsday, and others.
She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her cat Tabitha.
Follow Stephanie Forshee on Instagram @bystephanieforshee.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share the “backstory” of how you grew up?
I grew up in Germantown, Tennessee — a suburban city outside of Memphis. I was the middle child, with an older sister and younger brother. I was really involved with singing and did a lot of traveling with school and church choirs singing all over the country and even abroad. My sister was also a singer, and my brother was the athletic one. Even though we grew up with different interests, somehow all three of us have turned out to be published authors. My sister published a book about faith and mental health, and my brother published an urban fantasy novella.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story?
The Nancy Drew series was extremely impactful for me. The character of Nancy Drew was a young detective who could solve any crime. She seemed invincible, and I have always admired her tenacity. I wanted to be like her, so I think that’s where my desire to be a journalist first came from. I love investigating and researching — especially topics that haven’t received a lot of attention.
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
I first learned about Margaret Getchell LaForge early on during the pandemic while reading a book about the history of Macy’s. I was surprised that there wasn’t a lot written about her, so I decided I would write about her myself. I’d read that she was the first female retail executive. So then that led me to wonder, ‘OK, who was the first female CEO?’ Then, ‘What about women of color?’ Surprisingly, I didn’t know any of these women’s names. And so my research on Hidden Gems began.
What impact did you hope to make when you wrote this book?
My hope is that more people will know the names Margaret Getchell LaForge and Maggie Lena Walker. Perhaps there will be more books to come beyond these two, but the idea is to honor these women’s legacies while encouraging the next generation to become leaders in business.
Did the actual results align with your expectations? Can you explain?
Since publishing the first book last summer, I’ve definitely had some amazing, heartwarming conversations with people who loved learning about Margaret Getchell LaForge — both small children and big kids, aka adults.
What moment let you know that your book had started a movement? Please share a story.
I love hearing from parents. And one dad expressed to me how meaningful this book had been to his daughter who wants to run her own company one day. In that moment, I knew the work I was doing was important and having a meaningful impact.
What kinds of things did you hear right away from readers? What are the most frequent things you hear from readers about your book now? Are they the same? Different?
The most frequent comments I hear are simply: ‘I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this woman or these women!’ That’s been a pretty consistent response. I’m so glad and honored to be the one to share these stories with the world.
What is the most moving or fulfilling experience you’ve had as a result of writing this book? Can you share a story?
During Women’s History Month, I spoke to employees at Macy’s. It was such a great experience being able to share the story of Margaret Getchell LaForge with them. They loved hearing about her life and had such great questions about her career at RH Macy’s. Plus, many of the attendees shared that they planned to buy the book to read with their kids. That was an incredibly rewarding experience to know that they could read with their young ones and say, ‘Look, this woman is responsible for why I have my job.’
Have you experienced anything negative? Do you feel there are drawbacks to writing a book that starts such colossal conversation and change?
I haven’t heard too much negativity, but it is daunting to write about unsung heroes. I say that because occasionally, on the hard days, you can forget to keep your head up and it’s easy to convince yourself that the work isn’t important.
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of books written about forgotten women. We’ve learned about trailblazers like Madam C.J. Walker and Katherine Johnson. But by and large, there are still not a lot of women in business being written about for children. I’m trying to change that.
What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a bestselling writer? (i.e. perseverance, discipline, play, craft study) Can you share a story or example?
Persistence has always been a driving force for me. When I have my mind set on something, I never give up. Ever. And the evolution of this series has been no exception. I had a big publisher turn down the idea of writing about these women; I was told that children aren’t interested in reading about people that no one knows about. I disagree. Hidden Gems is proof of that. I was determined to create this series, and persistence paid off when I first introduced the idea of Hidden Gems for Kids in a Kickstarter campaign, which was successfully funded in May 2022. The series didn’t become successful overnight; it’s taken persistent measures to keep readers engaged and excited about the series.
What challenge or failure did you learn the most from in your writing career? Can you share the lesson(s) that you learned?
When I self-published my first book about journalism in 2016, my co-author and I did not spend a lot of resources on marketing. In today’s world, even if you have a traditional publisher, marketing is something you have to become comfortable and familiar with. It’s lovely to write a wonderful book; it’s even better if people know it exists and where to find it.
Many aspiring authors would love to make an impact similar to what you have done. What are the 5 things writers need to know if they want to spark a movement with a book? (please include a story or example for each)
Define what you want the movement to be. For me, I knew from the beginning that I wanted kids to see themselves in these unsung heroes. I want children to believe that they, too, can start businesses if they want to. Or they can be leaders in other ways, but it’s always been front and center that kids are allowed to dream and believe they can accomplish anything — just like these Gems I’ve written about.
Recruit others to participate. For the first book I published about Margaret Getchell, I was the sole author. However, it took a village to get it published. I had friends, my sister, and colleagues participate in reading the manuscript to get it ready for publication. For my second book, I recognized I could use more help, and I asked the talented journalist Amanda Gerut to co-author Hidden Gems: Maggie Lena Walker. Now that the book is nearly ready for its release in a few months, I’m so thankful I had her join me on this project. I couldn’t have done it without her.
Don’t be afraid of feedback. Invite beta readers to read your book before it’s published. And don’t be afraid of what they have to say. You don’t have to incorporate every piece of feedback that they give, but you should thoughtfully consider where they’re coming from to get the most out of this process.
A movement can start small. While Hidden Gems for Kids has received a great response from readers, it’s still only one year since the first book was published. I ran a Kickstarter for the book series in May 2022, and the momentum has grown little by little. With each development, my Kickstarter backers and readers have really come through to support me and the series. But this is just the beginning.
Dream big. Even if it takes time and patience to reach your intended audience, keep dreaming and believing that you will find the right people.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
This isn’t a new movement but one we’re still waiting to see: We need more women on boards and in the C-suite. It’s crucial to see equality in the highest levels of leadership in the business world. It’s been proven time and time again that diversity in business is critical. Yet, somehow corporations are still falling short. The companies from which my Hidden Gems hail, i.e. Macy’s and Bissell, for instance, have been around for 150 years and more — yet neither have seen a female CEO to this day.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
My Instagram is @bystephanieforshee. I’d love for folks to join the movement there.
Thank you so much for these insights. It was a true pleasure to do this with you.
Author Stephanie Forshee On How To Write A Book That Sparks A Movement was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.